Patriots look to do it all over

They've come full circle, from the Lovable Little Underdogs That Could of 2001 to the - and here we are channeling the non-New England world view - Big, Bad Cheaters That Couldn't of 2007.

By Eric McHugh/Gatehouse News Service

MetroWest Daily News, Framingham, MA

By Eric McHugh/Gatehouse News Service

Posted Jul. 24, 2008 at 12:01 AM
Updated Jul 24, 2008 at 7:18 PM

By Eric McHugh/Gatehouse News Service

Posted Jul. 24, 2008 at 12:01 AM
Updated Jul 24, 2008 at 7:18 PM

» Social News

They've come full circle, from the Lovable Little Underdogs That Could of 2001 to the - and here we are channeling the non-New England world view - Big, Bad Cheaters That Couldn't of 2007.

The Patriots sure have run the entire, exhausting gamut. So, where do they go from here? To training camp, of course, to try to put more distance between themselves and a tumultuous, almost-magical, ultimately excruciating season.

Spygate. Running-up-the-score-gate. One of the greatest Super Bowl upsets of all time. Coach Bill Belichick's guys packed a decade worth of drama into a mere 19 games. Now they'll try to do it all over again - minus, of course, the controversy and the unhappy ending.

Here are some of the many questions facing the defending AFC champions, who were scheduled to kick off their summer schooling this morning at Gillette Stadium:

-- Can they dodge the Super Bowl loser jinx?

Curses are so pre-2004 around here, but it's hard to argue with the facts - six of the last seven teams to lose the Big Game missed the playoffs the next season, and none of those six won more than seven games. The lone exception: The 2006 Seahawks captured the sorry NFC West at 9-7 and even won a playoff game (gift-wrapped by Tony Romo's field goal-hold gaffe.) Bad luck seems to follow runners-up, and a pessimist would point to the Pats' string of offseason embarrassments - drug busts for RB Kevin Faulk, DB Willie Andrews (since released) and RT Nick Kaczur - as evidence that it's business as usual. An optimist would counter that the Patriots are too talented, too well-coached, too dedicated (great offseason workout attendance) and too battle-tested (17 playoff games since 2001) to fall flat. There's no defense for an injury epidemic, though.

-- Will success spoil Randy Moss?

ESPN analyst Ron Jaworski slammed his effort late in the season, and there was that curiously timed (eve-of-the-playoffs) domestic-incident accusation that went nowhere. Otherwise, Moss's debut here was a blast, full of eye-popping stats (98 catches, 1,493 yards, NFL-record 23 TDs in the regular season) and a very strong work ethic - he led all receivers in offensive snaps and generally ran hard all game. OK, but that was in a prove-it contract year. Now that he's bagged his money (a three-year, $27 million extension) and reclaimed his good name, will he have that same fire in the belly? He still hasn't won a Super Bowl ring. To get one, he must avoid another late-season slump. Seven of his nine 100-yard games and 16 of his 24 total TDs came in the first 10 games, before opposing DBs started to rough him up.

-- What's Tom Brady's encore?

As good as the league's reigning MVP is, throwing 50 TD passes (a single-season NFL record) might be a once-in-a-lifetime achievement. In fact, The Sporting News recently pointed out that of the three previous QBs who tossed at least 40 TDs in a season - Dan Marino ('84, '86), Kurt Warner ('99) and Peyton Manning ('04) - all suffered severe declines in production the following season. Manning, for example, dipped from 49 to 28. Brady, who turns 31 on Aug. 3, is still in his prime and has an embarrassment of riches at his disposal, specifically Moss and Wes Welker (112 catches, 1,175 yards, 8 TDs). Barring injury (see Question No. 1) or a philosophical shift toward a more balanced offense, there's no reason, other than historical precedent, to think that he can't at least make a run at 40 TDs.

Page 2 of 2 - -- Can Laurence Maroney sustain momentum?

Nice run Maroney went on down the stretch last season, reaching 100-plus yards in four of five games (104 vs. Jets, 156 vs. Dolphins, 122 in each of the first two playoff contests) before stumbling, like all his teammates, in the Super Bowl (14 carries for 36 yards, 2.6 average). It was the kind of bad-weather muscle-flexing the Pats had been hoping the 2006 first-round pick would provide. True, Maroney has been rather brittle, missing five games in two seasons with injuries (three last year with a bad groin), but his career average is 4.4 yards per carry. And he developed a nose for the end zone last year, rushing for seven TDs in the final six games. With backup Sammy Morris (chest) presumably healthy, the Pats should have their most robust running game since Corey Dillon's epic 2004.

-- Can Mayo add spice at linebacker?

No Junior Seau, at least not yet. No more Rosevelt Colvin. Another year's worth of miles on the odometer for Tedy Bruschi (35), Mike Vrabel (turns 33 next month) and Adalius Thomas (turns 31 next month). The Pats' linebacking corps isn't quite what it used to be, so defensive coordinator Dean Pees is counting on Jerod Mayo, the team's first-round pick out of Tennessee, to spur the old dogs on. The kid (6-1, 242) played all over the place for the Volunteers and is reportedly a fast learner. He, Bruschi and free agent Victor Hobson, the former Jet, project as the top three contenders for the two inside spots, leaving Vrabel and Thomas to man the wings. Free agent safety Tank Williams saw time at linebacker in the offseason minicamps and could fill a hybrid role in sub packages.

-- How can Dom Capers help?

The Pats' two big coaching moves this offseason were retaining 32-year-old offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who got some head-coaching sniffs, and luring Capers, 57, to run the secondary - a job the departed Joel Collier handled in 2007. Capers has coached two expansion franchises - Panthers (1995-98) and Texans (2001-05) - and has done three tours of duties as a defensive coordinator with the Steelers (1992-94), Jaguars (1999-2000) and Dolphins (06-07). Known for his aggressive blitz packages, he is easily the most decorated assistant Belichick has added here. Bryant, who played for Capers as Jaguars rookie in 1999, gave him high praise in the offseason, saying he's a stickler for fundamentals and a guy who is "going to shoot straight." Capers' best asset: Four quality safeties in Rodney Harrison, James Sanders, Brandon Meriweather and Williams.

-- Will we see the classic Richard Seymour?

The last two seasons it's been Seymour Lite - just 81 combined tackles for the defensive end, or one less than he posted in his career-best 2003 campaign. Last year, the Big Guy missed the first seven games while recovering from offseason surgery on his left knee. He didn't make the Pro Bowl for the first time since his rookie year of 2001, wasn't voted a defensive captain for the first time since 2002, and was blasted as "dirty" and "cheap" by Chargers center Nick Hardwick after the AFC title game. The knee, he told the Boston Globe in January, had been bothering him ever since he first hurt it while serving as a goal-line fullback in 2005. However, Seymour, 28, feels that he turned a corner this offseason and should be back to his pre-2006 self - a scary thought for opposing offensive linemen.